SD water restrictions go into effect Monday

Mandatory water-use restrictions will go into effect Monday in San Diego following the City Council's recent declaration of a "Level 2'' drought alert.

To help prevent San Diego residents from being caught off guard, the city has enacted a "No Time To Waste--No Water To Waste'' campaign to inform residents about the new rules.

The most significant impact will be when and how often residents can water their lawns and landscaping.

Residents will be allowed to water their lawns and landscaping only before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., three days a week from June through October and for no more than 10 minutes at a time.

Homes with odd-numbered addresses will be permitted to water on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Homes with even-numbered addresses can water on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. Apartments, condos and businesses can water only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Cars may only be washed at residences between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m., and only a bucket and a hose with a shut-off nozzle can be used.

Residents cannot use a hose to wash down sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts or patios.

There are also restrictions on ornamental fountains and construction site watering. Restaurants are required to serve water on request only and hotels must give guests the option of not laundering towels and linens daily.

Violators could face a fine of $100 to $1,000.

The city plans to hire seven employees, on top of the three they already have, to help enforce the new water restrictions. Water Department officials said enforcement will largely be driven by citizen complaints.

A hotline has been set up at (619) 515-3500 so residents can report water waste.

Necessitating the mandatory restrictions is the recent decision by the San Diego County Water Authority to reduce water deliveries to its member agencies in the region by 8 percent.

California's water supplies are threatened by years of drought. That, combined with recent restrictions on the amount of water that can be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to protect an endangered fish, means likely shortages.